I lose a lot of kittens, sadly, but I don't usually get super shook up about it. Unfortunately, it's a fact of life in rescue.
My partner and I first saw Saki in the holding area of a local shelter that we frequently pull from.
She was a tiny little tortie kitten with a big mouth and reaching paws. Strangely enough, she was there on bite quarantine. She had been found roaming a factory and likely bit out of fear, but never displayed anything but love to us. The shelter manager begged us to take her along with the 7 other kittens we were pulling and we acquiesced.
After little Saki's bite quarantine was over (biters without a history of rabies vaccination, even ones that are barely 6 weeks old, have to be held for 10 days to watch for signs of rabies), she got two roommates in her quarantine cage (a Great Dane-sized crate) and began teaching them the art of the Naughty Kitten. She won our hearts and it was clear...her initial profile on Petfinder garnered many inquiries.
On Tuesday I noticed while cleaning the litter boxes that Saki seemed listless and uninterested in me. I checked her over and she was pretty badly dehydrated. Despite SQ fluids, PO chicken broth, and a mostly-sleepless night of care, Saki passed away Wednesday morning. No longer a tiny kitten, she left a big hole in our hearts.
This post is a tribute to Saki and every other kitten who dies too young. Many of them never make it out of the shelter. The lucky ones who pass do so in the love and warmth of our home. Saki, you would have made someone a great little pet, and we hope you enjoy all the toys and the treats you'll find on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.
My partner and I first saw Saki in the holding area of a local shelter that we frequently pull from.
She was a tiny little tortie kitten with a big mouth and reaching paws. Strangely enough, she was there on bite quarantine. She had been found roaming a factory and likely bit out of fear, but never displayed anything but love to us. The shelter manager begged us to take her along with the 7 other kittens we were pulling and we acquiesced.
After little Saki's bite quarantine was over (biters without a history of rabies vaccination, even ones that are barely 6 weeks old, have to be held for 10 days to watch for signs of rabies), she got two roommates in her quarantine cage (a Great Dane-sized crate) and began teaching them the art of the Naughty Kitten. She won our hearts and it was clear...her initial profile on Petfinder garnered many inquiries.
On Tuesday I noticed while cleaning the litter boxes that Saki seemed listless and uninterested in me. I checked her over and she was pretty badly dehydrated. Despite SQ fluids, PO chicken broth, and a mostly-sleepless night of care, Saki passed away Wednesday morning. No longer a tiny kitten, she left a big hole in our hearts.
This post is a tribute to Saki and every other kitten who dies too young. Many of them never make it out of the shelter. The lucky ones who pass do so in the love and warmth of our home. Saki, you would have made someone a great little pet, and we hope you enjoy all the toys and the treats you'll find on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.